The last time I was in New York City, I had to pick up some asparagus at the Union Square Green Market and I'm so glad that I did. All I did was simply steam it and it made the tastiest compliment to my grilled cajun catfish dinner.
I found some great asparagus recipes here. I intend to try them VERY soon. I encourage you to do the same!
Asparagus with Lemon olive oil and Parmesan
Asparagus Frittata with red bell peppers
Asparagus Bruschetta
Asparagus Casserole
(I'd lower the fat content in this by using 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup wheat germ instead of 1/2 cup Parmesan )
Okay, I'll stop spewing off recipes now. I'm starting to remind myself of Forrest Gump:
"There's, um, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp . . . "
Seriously, asparagus is a great great compliment to your spring and summer meals! I recently wrote an article about it. If you want to know more, keep reading:
Asparagus - Your Luxury Veggie
Asparagus is such a versatile vegetable—it’s tasty raw and steamed, it’s delicious in risottos and quiches, and it’s even a popular side at the most esteemed steakhouses in the world! In fact, asparagus has always been considered a luxury vegetable. It was highly prized in ancient Rome, Egypt, and Greece. In Europe, its status thrived under the reign of Louis XIV, who encouraged its production. Here are just some of the reasons why you should welcome this luxury vegetable into your diet:
- Asparagus is rich in iron, boasting about 15 percent of the daily-recommended value.
- Do you know that vegetarian forms of iron are much more absorbable when combined with foods rich in vitamin C? With asparagus, you have no need to worry about finding a food rich in vitamin C in order to absorb the iron because one cup of asparagus has more then 30 percent of the daily-recommended value of vitamin C.
- A rich source of folate (almost 70 percent of your daily recommended value), asparagus is EXCELLENT for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding as folate is essential for the production of new cells.
- Asparagus contains more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is great for the blood and your bones!
- Asparagus has a natural diuretic effect. This means that it can be effective in treating problems involving inflammation like arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, and PMS-related water retention. Inflammation is also involved in heart disease and cancer – so asparagus can help in prevention!
- Containing health-promoting “friendly” bacteria, asparagus is great for your intestines!
Though asparagus is grown throughout the spring here in Pennsylvania (and throughout most of the USA), it’s peaking these next couple of weeks! Stop by the Easton Farmer’s Market and pick up a bunch. There’s no better time than now to invite asparagus into your home. Buying it local is the way to go—it will stay fresher longer. To make it last close to a week, store it in your fridge, wrapped in a damp paper towel. If you’re feeling especially brave, try white asparagus (milder flavor than green asparagus) or purple asparagus (which has a fruity taste).
(Note: The photo of asparagus was taken by Maria Quiroga)
